Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Quick Movie Review

The Age of Adaline (2015, USA) | Rating: 3/5

If it isn't obvious, I'm not much of romantic movie person, but occasionally there are a rare few that look interesting. I wasn't in a rush to see this in theaters, but I still had some interest enough to see it later. We have had movies about people aging abnormally before and most of them I don't think I've seen like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but for some reason this one sparked a little more interest for me. Watching this movie was a decent experience. Not delving into deeply, the movie is quite enjoyable and I can see couples or romance lovers enjoying it. The characters are interesting enough, but the highlight is really the set designs, atmosphere, and cinematography. If you dig a little deeper, Adaline's new relationship seems a bit awkward or maybe even uncomfortable, there's things that aren't explained much, the narrator slightly breaks the flow of the movie, and overall, it's a very predictable love story. Pretty much, I'm not the best demographic for this movie, but I did enjoy it for what it was.

Straight Outta Compton (2015, USA) | Rating: 5/5

Originally, I wanted to do a full length review of this movie, but I'm sure everyone knows how necessary and amazing this movie is. It is a lengthy biopic, but once it starts, you don't care how long it is. It's very educational, informative, and entertaining. It has a nice balance of showing its audience the history of N.W.A as well as what was going on in the world at that time, but it sadly reflects that situations back then that still exist in present day. So, not only does this movie make you think of the evolution (or even de-evolution) of hip-hop, but makes you reflect on current events and how society handles racial issues. The history of the group may not be 100% accurate, but it still holds up for serving as a great history lesson for those who don't know their hip-hop roots. The soundtrack is great, the characters were perfectly cast and well acted, and the storytelling and pace were just right. I highly recommend seeing this movie and even seeing it again.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, USA) | Rating: 3/5

I'll probably get some negative comments about what I have to say about this movie, but I have to stay honest when I do these reviews. First off, I want to say that this is a nicely filmed and high action movie with some amazing and interesting set of female characters. They're very empowering and you love watching them in action and just generally on screen. Really, I think the movie should've been called "Imperator Furiosa: Fury Road", because Mad Max barely did anything. In short, this is a great, mindless action film, so don't expect any memorable dialogue or deep storytelling. It is fun and nice to look at. Whether this movie is a feminist piece or not, I'll leave that up to the viewer, but it was great seeing some badass women in action without them being hypersexualized.

Run, Hide, Die (2015, USA) | Rating: 1/5

Back to horrible horror movies and this one didn't completely disappoint in how bad it is. The story is interesting, but the characters didn't give me any chance to get to know or connect to them. So, when things went down, I was mostly confused, but didn't care what happened to them either, except maybe a little bit of the main character who lost her fiance (or whatever). The way these girls interact with each other seemed unbelievable and just over the top with the sexual and gross talk. Yes, girls can talk about poop and sex and stuff, but it just felt unnatural coming from this group. The camera work when the antagonist appeared was wonky and confusing and the audio didn't extremely little to help with that confusion. The girls constantly screaming and crying cover up any dialogue spoken by the mysterious woman that attacks them. If I cared more about this movie, I probably would've felt underwhelmed by its conclusion, but I suggest that you skip out on this one.

Boulevard (2014, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5

Continuing my trek through the post-mortem Robin Williams movies, which includes Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, and A Merry Friggin' Christmas, I once again saw commercials of this movie, but never heard of it before then. Naturally, I wanted to see it, mostly because of Williams' passing, but the story was intriguing as well. The more I watched this film, the more it reminded me of the gay French film Eastern Boys, which isn't a bad thing at all. Both movies involve an older man creating some sort of a relationship with a prostitute and their connection changes their lives in a huge way. Of course, the choices and outcomes are different in the end. Both older male characters does try to provide a better life for the young prostitute, but the major difference is in this film, Williams' character is the one trying to figure out himself and what he wants to do with his life. If you decide to watch this movie, you have to be open to homosexuality and not to expect any laughs from this movie. It is a melancholy, but thought provoking dramatic piece that'll make you feel emotionally conflicted and in awe of Williams' talent as an actor.

If there's something you want me to review (or want a more in depth review of the movies above or previous ones), check out this post on how you can submit requests.